Core i7-9700K vs EPYC 7302

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

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EPYC 7302

16 Cores32 Thrd155 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2019

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

0.0%

33,499

+132.7%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX

Ryzen 9 9950X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $593 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $978 MSRP).
✅Delivers 9.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 34.3 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $978 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 155W, a 60W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7302 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7302 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 33,499).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7302, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7302

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 34.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($978 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌63.2% higher power demand at 155W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

EPYC 7302

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $593 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $978 MSRP).
✅Delivers 9.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 34.3 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $978 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 155W, a 60W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7302 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7302 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 33,499).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7302, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 34.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($978 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌63.2% higher power demand at 155W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7302 better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7302 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-9700K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 7302 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 9.7% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7302 is the better fit. You are getting 132.7% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

EPYC 7302 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. EPYC 7302 is 154.0% more expensive on MSRP at $978 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 9.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 9.2% better value on paper (37.4 vs 34.3 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

EPYC 7302 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018), 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 8/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i7-9700K Benchmark Check

EPYC 7302 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7302
1080p
low	308 FPS	154 FPS
medium	278 FPS	126 FPS
high	231 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	85 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	131 FPS
medium	221 FPS	106 FPS
high	178 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	64 FPS
medium	140 FPS	55 FPS
high	108 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7302

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7302
1080p
low	360 FPS	356 FPS
medium	321 FPS	314 FPS
high	291 FPS	262 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	213 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	302 FPS
medium	282 FPS	276 FPS
high	258 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	188 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	194 FPS
medium	221 FPS	178 FPS
high	208 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	123 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7302

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7302
1080p
low	360 FPS	642 FPS
medium	360 FPS	523 FPS
high	360 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	409 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	497 FPS
medium	360 FPS	404 FPS
high	360 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	306 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	367 FPS
medium	360 FPS	285 FPS
high	360 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	196 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7302

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7302
1080p
low	360 FPS	821 FPS
medium	360 FPS	745 FPS
high	360 FPS	646 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	567 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	657 FPS
medium	360 FPS	572 FPS
high	360 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	423 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	449 FPS
medium	360 FPS	402 FPS
high	360 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	312 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7302

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and EPYC 7302

Core i7-9700K

The Core i7-9700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,397 points. Launch price was $374.

EPYC 7302

The EPYC 7302 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 August 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm, 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 155 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 33,499 points. Launch price was $978.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the EPYC 7302 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7302 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.3 GHz on the EPYC 7302 — a 39% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 7302 uses Zen 2 (2017−2020) (7 nm, 14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the EPYC 7302's 33,499 — a 79.8% lead for the EPYC 7302. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7302.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7302
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+48%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+20%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 14 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Zen 2 (2017−2020)
PassMark	14,397	33,499+133%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	19,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,192
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	10,254

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC 7302 uses SP3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The EPYC 7302 supports up to 4096 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 8 (EPYC 7302). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 128 (EPYC 7302) — the EPYC 7302 offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and WRX80,SP3 (EPYC 7302).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7302
Socket	LGA1151	SP3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	4096 GB+3100%
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	128+700%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V, SEV (EPYC 7302). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the EPYC 7302 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, EPYC 7302 targets Server / Multi-thread Workstation. Direct competitor: EPYC 7302 rivals Xeon Gold 6230.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7302
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V, SEV
Target Use	Desktop	Server / Multi-thread Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the EPYC 7302 debuted at $978. On MSRP ($385 vs $978), the Core i7-9700K is $593 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 34.3 pts/$ for the EPYC 7302 — making the Core i7-9700K the 8.8% better value option.